


Lingering touches

by PontiffOfTheDeep



Category: Dark Souls (Video Games), Dark Souls III
Genre: Hair Braiding, Hair Playing, M/M, NK is an extreme romantic, Romantic Fluff, This is really cute ngl, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-25
Updated: 2020-05-25
Packaged: 2021-03-03 03:34:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,973
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24378061
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PontiffOfTheDeep/pseuds/PontiffOfTheDeep
Summary: Energy is said to be stored in our hair, when we go through a rough patch a good portion of us cut it. Little do we know the bad energy we remove by doing so. Gwynsen knew what energy Ornstein held in his hair yet... He wouldn't ruin the moment
Relationships: Lord Gwyn's Firstborn/Dragon Slayer Ornstein, The Nameless King/Dragon Slayer Ornstein
Comments: 5
Kudos: 17





	Lingering touches

**Author's Note:**

> Massive thank you to @abysmalwatchers on twitter for inspiring me for this fic. You're an absolute genius and your nkstein headcanons are amazing. Fist bump 👊

“Good, again” 

A rough clank of metal to metal rippled through the air, bouncing off of every corner of the training field. Ornstein’s arm was pushed back away from his body as the silver knight parried the attack. The knight seemed the jitter from inside their armour, ecstatic that they were finally able to land a parry. The dragon slayer couldn’t help but crack a small smile from under his helm, he would be lying if he said he wasn’t proud. He had been training this group of knights for a couple of months now, having grown used to each of their personalities and fighting styles. It was always so tiring having to train them day in and day out but Ornstein wouldn’t trade it for anything. It made him beyond happy.

They could celebrate this later. The knight was too busy silently praising them self to notice Ornstein’s actions. With a swift and forceful kick to the chest the knight fell back onto the ground, a huff leaving their throat. They crumpled. The sound of the armour hitting the dirt blended into the sounds of sparring surrounding them, not that it made it any less embarrassing. 

“thou fight well however, never take thy eye off thy opponent unless thee wanteth a trip to the clerics” Ornstein spoke seriously yet there was a hint of amusement in his voice. The silver knight was easily intimidated by the dragon slayer, and for good reason. Ornstein wasn’t as tall as his fellow knights, Artorias and Gough but he still stood a head or two taller than the silver knights he taught. That alone would make anyone shudder in his presence and that’s before they learn about his status within the royal family. The dragon slayer extended an arm out to the frightened knight, offering them a hand. With a huff of an exhale, the knight took the hand and rose to their feet. 

Ornstein handed them back the straight sword he was using which belonged to the silver knight. Their fighting style was quite basic, consisting of a sword and shield. Although it was the most common fighting style, it was still hard to master as there was so much involved in it. You had to juggle both defence and attack at the same time while focusing on your opponent. Ornstein personally hated the form of combat, he much preferred his spear and got giddy whenever one of the Knight’s wants to test out a spear. It was something he was very passionate about. 

The silver knight bowed and thanked Ornstein for assisting him. With this the dragon slayer decided it was time to wrap up for the day, he was drained and the knights looked just about ready to collapse.  
“Knights, cease thy sparring” Ornstein’s raised voice called out over the training field. Every weapon came to a halt, everyone seeming to be stuck in a freeze frame at their teacher’s words. 

“thee all didst excellent today so I shall finish up early” The dragon slayer called out to his students, feeling the atmosphere lighten and change instantly. If he was being honest with himself he just wanted to finish early because of his aching muscles, he didn’t stretch properly this morning and it affected him greatly. His bones ached and he wanted to just fall over into a heap but there was still work to be done. Clustered footsteps ran through the air as the Knights walked back inside the castle. It didn’t take long for the training field to turn into a ghost town, the only thing remaining was Ornstein and the dread of paperwork. He knew he had to go to his office and fill it out but... by the gods he wanted nothing more than to sleep. 

Ornstein finished packing away the knight's equipment. His muscles felt so strained and he had a headache. In one swift movement he removed his helm and let his hair whip behind him before relaxing to fit the soft breeze. Sweat ran down his forehead, reminding him of how hard he had worked that day.  
‘Just finish the paper work and then you can go sleep' he reminded himself and with that singular thought he began to make his way to his office.

* * *

Ornstein gently twisted the door knob open to his office and almost fell over when he saw the state of it. His office was usually so cluttered but now it seemed as though the royal maids had cleaned it up for him... Weird. Not only that but the stack of paperwork he had to do was completely gone off of his desk yet something remained there in its absence. A vase, golden in colour and sparkling in the dim sunlight being let in. The vase was holding a bunch of flowers that were arranged neatly inside of it with precision that only a romantic could be capable of. This brought a faint smile to Ornstein’s face as he shut the door and walked over to the vase. 

Upon closer inspection he took in the sort of flowers that the vase held. Lavender, Snap Dragon, Peony and Gypsophila flowers comfortably sat inside of the golden steel. A type of metal the replicated that of Ornstein’s armour. These flowers were the dragon slayer's favourite, he only mentioned his love for nature like this once, on a walk with his master. He must’ve remembered that. 

Under the vase however was a slip of paper, slightly pink in colour with swirls of gold on the edges acting like a border for the note. Ornstein carefully picked it up, trying not to damage it with his gauntlets as he read the note. In beautiful hand writing it read,

* * *

My dear knight,  
I request your presence at my bed chambers as soon as you receive this note, your armour is not required. I will be waiting.

* * *

Ornstein’s heart fluttered as he read each word, suddenly becoming so excited for what was prepared for him. Although no matter what his dear prince would make for him, his body wouldn’t let him forget about how tired he truly was. This wasn’t his body’s decision to make though. With a huff he put his helm on, carefully taking the vase and note. 

As quick as he could Ornstein walked to his own bed chambers, put the vase on his bed side table and beginning to change out of his armour. There was a while where he sat on the edge of his bed, almost passing out right then and there in the nude. It took some self-control not to but with one look at the flowers he knew he had to go see his beloved. The dragon slayer let out a strong sigh, rubbing his hands over his face and hesitantly putting up his hair. The things he would do for his prince... 

Dressed in brown trousers, a white doublet and boots that reached just under his knees with a short heel he left to visit Gwynsen. With each step he took towards the Lord’s bed chambers he could feel himself become even more drowsy. Hopefully he’d get there and could just fall asleep next to his lover if he didn’t have anything planned. He hoped not.

* * *

Ornstein finally reached the large and dramatic doors with led to his objective, the sun’s first born. Butterflies violently flew around the dragon slayer's stomach as he nervously knocked on one of the doors. The prince made himself more nervous than any battle ever could. They haven’t been together long, about five months now but that didn’t matter. Gwynsen knew just how to twist Ornstein and make the usually serious and calm knight weak at the knees. The strong doors opened with a low sound, revealing the Lord himself. Gwynsen seemed to light up by the sight of his first knight, smiling brightly and gently taking Ornstein’s hand into his own as he pulled him into his bed chambers. The dragon slayer's nerves seemed to wash away before immediately igniting into something darker when he looked at his prince closer. 

The Lord was dressed in such a way that drove Ornstein insane. A loose robe hung off his bare shoulders, black in colour with small sequins of gold dancing across the fabric. The dragon slayer had grown quite familiar with his partner’s body but seeing his bare chest so suddenly made him all flustered. Underneath the robe and around his neck was a strong piece of metal, dark in colour but not quite black. It looked similar to the neck of Ornstein’s armour but with no intent of protection.  
“I’m sorry my dear, were the flowers too much?” Gwynsen asked nervously, holding Ornstein’s hand with both of his own. The dragon slayer snapped back to reality, looking down at the prince’s hands. A couple of golden bangles adorned both of his wrists, glinting gently in the light. 

The knight shook his head slightly and looked back up at the god, a small smile planted on his face in contract to Gwynsen nervous look.  
“no beloved, they were lovely” he replied, shoes shuffling on the floor as he leaned up to gently kiss his cheek. The prince wrapped his arms around Ornstein, taking him into an embrace. His skin was so incredibly soft and warm against the dragon slayer, making his already exhausted body sing in joy. His eyes fluttered shut as he leaned all his weight onto his prince who didn’t budge in the slightest. 

Gwynsen let a small frown run over his face, one of his hands traveling up to gently stroke at Ornstein’s hair.  
“You’re exhausted, Ornstein” he commented simply, beginning to gently rock back and forth of his feet with Ornstein in his arms. The knight smiled sleepily and peered up at Gwynsen with his gentle gaze, wrapping his arms around the prince tightly.  
“That I am” he let a small yawn slip past his lips, nuzzling into Gwynsen’s chest. His eyes travelled elsewhere, feeling content with just staying here like this with his Lord. That was until he remembered the note. 

“i apologize, my lord. Did you have anything planned?” Ornstein asked, voice deepened with exhaustion hanging off every word he spoke. His question was immediately answered. In one swift movement, Gwynsen picked Ornstein up with one arm under his legs and the other secured tightly around his back. The knight clung to him, a bit surprised at the sudden action but he would never complain. 

The prince stepped towards his large bed carefully, trying not to wake his knight up from the state he was in. It was so rare that Gwynsen would catch his lover in such a tired state. As much as the Lord wished Ornstein would be well, he couldn’t hope but fall in love with how the knight curled up to him on cold, late nights in anor londo. It made him remember just how much he loved his faithful knight. Carefully, he sat Ornstein on his bed and let out a small laugh at the expression his knight held. He looked so embarrassed, cheeks flushed a soft shade of red. Ornstein nervously crossed his legs, folding his hands together on his knee. 

“I wanted to go on a walk with you before dinner but I won’t let you go anywhere in such a state” Gwynsen spoke quietly, almost trying to ease Ornstein with his voice. With slow and careful steps, the prince made his way over to his knight, crawling onto the bed and sitting directly behind him.  
“May I?” his gentle voice came from behind Ornstein, one of his hands moving to touch his pony tail. 

The dragon slayer smiled at this, a small sigh coming from his lips.  
“As you wish, beloved” he reached behind him and undid his hair, blood red locks spilling down his back. Gwynsen watched attentively, pupils dilating as he watched his Knight’s hair move. The prince reached into his bed side table and grabbed a hair brush, moving back behind Ornstein. He tried not to show how excited he was as to not ruin the mood but the dragon slayer already knew, his lips curving up into a small smirk. The second Gwynsen’s hands came in to contact with his scalp, the dragon slayers eyes fluttered shut to take in the affection. 

“Your clothes look gorgeous on you, my lord” Ornstein commented with a voice just above a whisper. He leaned his head back into the prince’s hands, mouth slightly agape at the gentle caresses. The prince in question let out a small laugh,  
“I thought you’d like them. I found it while cleaning up around here and thought I’d show you” he hummed. Ornstein swore he could hear small bells going off, similar to that of a chime belonging to a cleric. They were small and delicate, a delightful sound to the dragon slayer's ears. He wouldn’t question it, someone probably hurt themself and was getting healed by a cleric nurse. 

Gwynsen’s hands left Ornstein’s scalp and travelled down his hair, feeling at how soft it was. The prince had felt nothing like it. It almost felt like he was touching nothing with how soft it was on his fingertips. He took the brush next to him and started to work out some of the small knots in his hair, there wasn’t many which was a surprise.  
“How is your class coming along?” Gwynsen asked, continuing to brush his hair with care. Ornstein thought for a moment before responding. 

“They’re going very well actually; they are very fast learners. They settled on their weapons and fighting style so I have to teach them the tricks of each weapon” Ornstein explained, “the knights worked so well that I let them go early for a change” the second the dragon slayer said this he was met with a chuckle from the prince.  
“That’s so unlike you, if anything you would keep them back” Gwynsen teased, “that’s very good to hear. I’m glad you’re working well with them” he finished. 

With a couple of strokes, he had completely untangled Ornstein’s hair, settling the brush aside and beginning to section his hair into different parts. The gentle bell sound continued. Someone must be really injured.  
“My lord, can you hear those bells?” he asked, starting to become a little concerned by the duration of the noise. 

Gwynsen just simply hummed, unbothered.  
“Its probably my sister, nothing to be concerned about” he explained, thinking nothing of it. Ornstein felt a couple of tugs at his hair but it was only slight as the prince began to braid his hair, nothing uncomfortable. The knight felt so relaxed with Gwynsen’s movements, they were so gentle and caring. He put so much thought into styling Ornstein’s hair, not saying anything for a while as he concentrated. 

The dragon slayer didn’t know what had come over him, his exhaustion from before had left and had been replaced with an intense stream of energy. His eyes fluttered open, looking around the sudden brightness of the prince’s room. His muscles that were screaming at him before had now settled, feeling as though he just had a full week’s rest. Ornstein thought on what could’ve happened but, in all reality being near Gwynsen might’ve just been the cure. 

“There” the prince hummed happily, tying off the last bit of his masterpiece. Ornstein snapped back to reality, a small chuckle leaving him as he realised what they were originally doing. The dragon slayer had been here for an hour, having his hair played with by the god. He wouldn’t trade it for the world.  
“What do you think?” Asked Gwynsen, bouncing a little from the excitement. He reached into his bedside table to grab a mirror. 

Once he had handed it to Ornstein, the dragon slayer raised it and began to prod at his hair which had been braided. The braid itself looked similar to Ciaran's except with more intricate detail, a couple small braids being fitted into it. His hair would usually reach just below his waist when he had it down but now it reached his lower to mid back. It was safe to say he was impressed,  
“Thank you, my Lord... it looks amazing” he smiled, placing the mirror beside him on the bed before turning around. He faced Gwynsen and brought a hand up to caress his cheek, a soft smile rising to both of their faces at the tender moment. 

“How about we go on that walk?” Ornstein asked just before leaning forward. He pressed his lips against the god’s, savouring the contact as much as he could. The way their lips moved in sync was like nothing Ornstein had ever felt before, it was just right. After a short moment, Gwynsen moved his hands from his lap and to Ornstein’s waist. His thumbs rubbed smoothly against the fabric of his doublet, making his knight smile just that bit more. They soon pulled away, the god holding him close and trying his hardest not to ravish Ornstein right then and there.  
“I would love that, my dear” The prince smiled warmly, placing a kiss on his Knight’s head.

* * *

For the next couple of days Ornstein would find excuses to have Gwynsen play with his hair, it always grounded him and made him feel so safe. So secure. Whatever troubles had been plaguing him at the time would instantly fade away the second the prince’s hands touched his scalp. Something the knight couldn’t let go was the sound of those cleric bells, he seemed to always be in proximity to someone who was injured. Gwynsen didn’t have the heart to tell him of the miracles he would cast on his lover just so he could touch his hair. Eh, he’ll tell him one day.

**Author's Note:**

> YO I'm on twitter!! @classicly_sick


End file.
